The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries witnessed a revolution in the eating habits of European households with disposable incomes. Central to the culinary history of the period is the innovative French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935). His cooking methods, combined with a modern approach to managing professional kitchen staff, contributed to the development of a fashionable culture of dining out, notably at London's Savoy and Carlton hotels. Escoffier's influence was such that he was urged to publish his methods and recipes. Reissued here in its English translation of 1907, this textbook on haute cuisine was first published in French in 1903. Beginning with the fundamental elements of cooking, Escoffier gives nearly 3,000 descriptions and recipes, ranging from sauces and marinades to jams and jellies. Intended for the instruction of aspiring chefs, this monumental work remains a core text at cookery schools to this day.

No cook should be without the original, unabridged translation of Auguste Escoffier's masterpiece Le Guide Culinaire, a classic recipe reference resource which popularised haute cuisine as we know it when it was first published in 1903.

This handsome new edition is a treasure-trove of over 5,000 recipes to guide chefs cooking along classic lines as well as inspire them with fresh ideas. These French dishes form the foundation of modern culinary art and with it the work of every trained chef, who rightly revere this fascinating historical document.

Not only a reference for professionals, it's also a fascinating read for any foodie: an insight into the history and development of modern cookery and the route of French culinary art from the Victorian age to our own kitchens. In his notes we can see Escoffier's philosophy of cooking: modern, simple and clean.

This lavish new edition has been beautifully repackaged and includes a foreword by award-winning chef Heston Blumenthal. It's also been significantly reduced in price so that it can take its rightful place on the bookshelves of chefs, trainee chefs and students of the culinary arts, as well as anyone who enjoys taking cooking seriously.